Anyone who's purchased a home and had to deal with repairs and improvements knows that the finishes are the last thing you should look at when you're house shopping, even if they're all attractive and expensive. Pay attention to the structure, the neighborhood, and the costs of ownership to avoid expensive repairs in the future.

Real estate agents and home buying TV shows often focus on the surface finishes, like appliances, countertops, and other visual elements that look luxurious and high-end. Those are all important, but according to PTMoney, home buyers who fail to look past them when shopping for a home do so at their own peril.

Many home buyers, especially first-time homeowners, wind up buying a home that costs an incredible amount of money to heat or cool, that has expensive problems behind the walls, or will be expensive to maintain just because the kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. PTMoney suggests keeping an eye out for things like cracks in the foundation, water stains on the ceilings or walls, and shoddy repair or renovation work that may be hiding some bigger problems. Bring along someone who knows about home repair for a second opinion, and consider how much money those shiny appliances and cathedral ceilings will cost to run and keep warm in the winter time.

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Of course, you should definitely get a home inspection once you decide to put in an offer on a house, but watching for those issues beforehand can also save you a bunch of money, and potential headache.